A former employee has taken legal action against a major automotive company, alleging discriminatory practices and retaliation. Freddie L. Young III filed a complaint on January 15, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia against MOBIS North America Electrified Powertrain, LLC. The lawsuit accuses the company of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by denying Young a promotion based on pretextual criteria and retaliating against him for opposing discriminatory practices.
The complaint details Young’s employment as a Quality & Compliance Operations Specialist at MOBIS’s Richmond Hill, Georgia facility. In October 2024, Young applied for an Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Specialist position within the company. Despite initially being considered qualified and scheduled for an interview, his candidacy was abruptly canceled by MOBIS citing an alleged twelve-month tenure requirement that was not previously mentioned. Notably, this requirement could not have been met by any employee at the newly opened facility. Young claims that other employees without twelve months of service were promoted during the same period, suggesting selective enforcement of this criterion.
Young alleges that after he raised concerns about safety and compliance issues in good faith to management and Human Resources, he faced retaliatory actions including exclusion from workplace protections and heightened scrutiny. He argues that these actions were directly linked to his protected activities under Title VII, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
In seeking redress from the court, Young requests compensatory damages for lost wages due to denied promotion opportunities—amounting to a $15 per hour wage differential—and additional damages for emotional distress and mental anguish. He also seeks back pay, front pay for future earning capacity loss, lost benefits including retirement contributions, and coverage of out-of-pocket expenses incurred due to the alleged unlawful conduct by MOBIS.
The case is currently assigned under Civil Action No. 4:26-cv-00011-RSB-CLR with no judge named yet. Representing himself pro se in this legal battle is Freddie L. Young III from Hinesville, Georgia. On behalf of MOBIS North America Electrified Powertrain are attorneys Kathryn Merriam along with Jon Gumbel and Ingu Hwang from Burr & Forman LLP.
Source: 426cv11_Freddie_Young_v_Mobis_North_America_Complaint_Southern_District_of_Georgia.pdf
